"Is it Legal?" vs. "Is it Right?" [Video]

By NDDCEL Staff

Owen Ryan, CEO, AERS Advisory at Deloitte

 

 

Owen Ryan describes a positive development he has noticed in the business community in recent years.

Teaching Notes

Use the following prompts to facilitate a guided discussion on this installment of Walking the Talk: Insights on Putting Ethics into Practice.

What is the difference between legal and ethical in the context of corporate decision making?

How does Ryan characterize the shift in corporate America from a compliance culture to a culture of doing the right thing?

What factors in the internal and external corporate environment are contributing to this shift?

How can asking ourselves “Would I do this in the light of day?” or applying the “newspaper test” (would I do this if it was featured on the front page of the newspaper), or other related lenses in which we “shine a lot of light” on our decisions be helpful?  How can employers create conditions under which employees are continually “shining a light” on their decision making processes?

Related Content

Sports and Ethical Leadership: Views from the Field

Sports and Ethical Leadership: Views from the Field

Like most universities with Division I athletics, Notre Dame doesn’t need to look far to find alumni making their mark in competition after graduation. But sports as an industry is big business - with big challenges, and ever-expanding opportunities for ethical leadership. We sat down with alumni working in the industry along with faculty member and NDDCEL Fellow Professor Brian Levey

Sustainable Energy for a Sustainable Future

Sustainable Energy for a Sustainable Future

“Isn’t every company a sustainable company?”

 

This is the challenging question posed by Kirsten Higgins, ND ’14, during her insightful interview on the present and future of renewable energy. She expanded on this question noting that as more companies become attuned to the costs—tangible and intangible

A Crystal Clear Opportunity: Transparency Improves Business and Sets Your Firm Apart

A Crystal Clear Opportunity: Transparency Improves Business and Sets Your Firm Apart

It’s clear by now that ESG (environmental, social, and governance) factors are part of the 21st century business landscape. You can’t stroll through business or investing sites without coming across the term, but a simple commitment to ESG is not going to be enough for companies to justify their social license to operate. Consumers, especially Gen Z who have considerable market power, have gotten savvy to ‘greenwashing’ and ‘social washing’ by major companies and are demanding more transparency